SACHE La Chataigneraie Wastewater Treatment Plant, Pont-de-Ruan, France

SACHE La Chataigneraie is a wastewater treatment plant located in Pont-de-Ruan, within the Indre-et-Loire department of Centre-Val de Loire, France. The plant serves a population of approximately 8,740 people, placing it in the small-to-medium agglomeration category under EU classification. As a French facility, the plant operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. The directive also mandates appropriate treatment before discharge into freshwater bodies to protect water quality and ecosystems. The plant discharges treated effluent into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Loire River basin. The Loire is one of France's major rivers, flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. The plant plays a key role in protecting the region's water resources and supporting aquatic life in the downstream environment.

The plant's treated effluent enters the local water system within the Loire River basin, one of France's largest watersheds. The Loire River flows through the Centre-Val de Loire region and empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Saint-Nazaire. This area supports diverse aquatic ecosystems, including fish species such as Atlantic salmon and European eel, and provides important habitat for migratory birds along the river corridor.